July 27, 2013

part five:

Days in another plantation (Bulgan)

text by ABu in collaboration with Kirsten Krätzel

Links to previous Mountain Birds 2012 on Birding Mongolia:part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4We arrived at Bulgan town in the west of Mongolia (it is only about 45 km to the Chinese-Mongolian border) in the afternoon of 11 June 2012. After a hurried and late lunch we tried to find a campsite. Unfortunately all the higher vegetation is on the western side of the river and there is only one bridge. In the end we were allowed to pitch our tents in the plantation by the bridge and its owner was proud to show us the heronry which he protects.

This western “oasis” (in the Dzungarian Gobi, isolated from the rest of Mongolia by the Altai mountains) holds a number of species that are difficult to get elsewhere in the country: Eurasian Bee-eater (2), Red-headed Bunting (5 territories), Common Nightingale (the eastern taxon golzii [formerly called hafizi] breeds here) and Lesser Grey Shrike (quite common; discovered in 2006 only, see here) are among them, and we logged all during the first few minutes of birding in the plantation. During the night, an Eurasian Scops Owl sang from the highest poplar trees but we couldn’t catch it.

During the next day we properly explored the plantation which covers about 80 hectares. The most comon cultivated crop in the plantation is plum but the owner has problems to sell them as the only bigger market—Ulaanbaatar—is too far away. We combed the tree rows for birds and got Azure Tits, White-crowned Penduline Tits and also found several Great x Turkestan Tits. This hybrid population is well known and we could not find a single pure (looking) Turkestan Tit (which has recently been treated as subspecies of Great Tit anyway). In contrast to this we saw about five tits which looked like the average Great Tit.

There were about 10 pairs of Lesser Grey Shrike, the 5 singing male Red-headed Buntings again, at least 6 territories of Common Nightingale, now even 4 Bee-eaters, a Common Kingfisher along the river, a singing Barred Warbler, several groups of Rosy Starling, a few Eurasian Golden Orioles and, most noteworthy, 2 pairs of Eurasian Greenfinch.

After a short trapping session (Common Nightingale, White-crowned Penduline Tit) in the morning of 13 Jun we left the plantation and headed eastwards. The paved and very even road let us quickly reaching the Altai Mountains.Now we crossed this mountain range again but more to the south hence it was a rather dry affair. We stopped in a very rocky valley and started birding. Along the small stream we found two territories of Eurasian Dipper (subspecies leucogaster) and saw a Wallcreeper while a Golden Eagle appeared (and disappeared). Sulphur-bellied Warblers were on show again and we even found an occupied nest.

Further up we tried to some other birds but apart from flyby rosefinches (not identified) the junipers hosted only Brown Accentors. We went on and saw our first Mongolian Saigas, a very shy and extremely fast running species of antelope, near Tonchil and in the evening we arrived at Ikhes Nuur. What we discovered there will be reported on Birding Mongolia soon!

This year we aimed for two main things: First, we wanted to catch, wing-tag and measure more adult Mongolian Gulls. Our second goal was to check the area around Bayankhongorijn Khukh Nuur for Hodgson’s Bushchat. Catching adult Mongolian Gulls in larger numbers is only possible when they are incubating which means that their Mongolian colonies should be visited around 25 May. Two lakes had been chosen for this: Telmen Nuur and Bayankhongorijn Khukh Nuur (!). The first lake is at almost 1800 m altitude and thus there is always the risk that it is frozen during the optimal time. In this case it would be impossible to get onto the small breeding islands. From the plane, Patrick and I had checked Telmen Nuur for this and saw that there was no ice left. Unfortunately we could not see the other lake as it was obscured by clouds. Khukh Nuur is high up in the Khangai Mountains at a chilly 2600 m a. s. l. hosting one of the highest colonies of large gulls worldwide, if not the highest.We arrived at Ulaanbataar’s International Airport on 21 May 2013 to team up with Brian Watmough who had been in Mongolia since April. We left the capital the next morning and spent the next night near Erdenesant in a very picturesque valley with elm trees. Bird migration was in full swing but thanks to the brilliant weather only few migrants were present.

In the morning of 10 June 2012 we went uphill for a 6h high altitude walk around the camp. After having reached the higher plateau at 3400 m a.s.l. we started birdwatching. Actually we had to look very hard for birds as there were only few of them. But then we were found by a bird. An adult Bearded Vulture aka Lammergeier, the latter a very misleading name, came over to check us out (we then decided to move, just to show him that we are not yet dead!).

Although the habitat looked extremely good for Eurasian Dotterel we were not able to find one. Instead we ended up (though it wasn’t that bad) with excellent observations of a pair of Rock Ptarmigan, about 4 Güldenstädt’s Redstarts, 1 or 2 Himalayan Griffons and about 20 Brandt’s Mountain Finches, the latter spread out over the plateau in pairs or small groups. Many of the mountain finches were feeding on the remaining snow fields.

After a very good lunch (thank you very much for cooking so well the entire trip, Javzaa!), we headed down for Khovdijn Bulgan. Again, we basically followed a stream, this time the Bodonzijn Gol. It was a very beautiful landscape with the partially tree-fringed river as our companion. Along the stream we saw birds like Golden Eagles, Common Sandpipers, Water Pipits (blakistoni), hundreds of Rosy Starlings, more Rock Ptarmigans, White-winged Snowfinches, Himalayan Griffons, Eurasian Black and Bearded Vultures and Grey Wagtails from our minibuses. We took a pass to get into the valley of the Uenzijn Gol. As we got lower it got gradually dryer as well and we chose to camp in a rather narrow part of the valley at about 2100 m a.s.l. Before we even had started to pitch our tents a Wallcreeper flew from one side of the valley to the other. It was watched well and we also heard the songs of two Sulphur-bellied Warblers, just another bird from the wish list. Unfortunately it was quite dark by then and nobody got to see any of the two.

On the next morning (11 Jun) we checked the slopes for Siberian Ibex and found about 13 of them on the higher slopes (very far away!). More admired than the repeated observations of the (or another) Wallcreeper were the brilliant views of several Sulphur-bellied Warblers and a number Plain Mountain Finches which we found after a while near our camp. We wondered whether Water Pipit (blakistoni) could be the main host species for Common Cuckoo here.

As we were aiming for the village (or is it considered to be a town?) of Bulgan we had to leave the mountains and on the way downhill we came across more mountain birds: Rock Sparrow, Crag Martin, Common Rock Thrush (common), Altai Falcon, again Himalayan Griffon, Grey-necked Buntings, and in a dryer part we had some Siberian Ibexes near the road.

In the lower part of the Uenzijn Gol we had already some lowland species like a pair of nest-building White-crowned Penduline Tits, singing Greenish and Hume’s Warblers and Common Rosefinches. Finally down in the arid zone we moved to the west and arrived in Bulgan in the afternoon.

July 14, 2013

part three: Through the Altai Mountains to the top

text by ABu in collaboration with Kirsten Krätzel

part one: click herepart two: click hereOn 8 June 2012 we left the lake and went towards the mighty Altai Mountains. We took the route via Mankhan on the east side of this famous mountain range. Our main goal was to find high altitude birds, but virtually the first birds we came across was a family party of Henderson’s Ground Jay (or Mongolian Ground Jay), a species all visiting birdwatchers want to see. The only youngster of the family was looking almost like its parents but could easily aged by the pale forecrown and the pale fringes of the crown feathers (glossy black without those fringes in adults). Though not a mountain bird of any kind, this observation was a good start for our ascent.

We basically followed a small stream, the Tugreg Gol, uphill and it took not long to bag our first real mountaineers during our lunch break. An adult or near-adult Himalayan Griffon was soaring above the valley while several Common Rock Thrushes showed their spectacular song flights. There was a number of singing Barred Warblers (not a true mountain bird), territorial Grey-necked Buntings, Golden Eagles, Brown Accentors and other beauties like Hoopoe and Isabelline Shrikes. No wonder that we returned to the table quite late.

As we went on (still following the same stream) we worked off our list of sought-after species. When we pitched our tents at the GPS coordinates 47,12149 N, 91,86492 E we had had already brilliant views of at least seven Spotted Great Rosefinches (aka Severtzov’s Rosefinch), Hill Pigeons, Chukar, a stunning male Rock Bunting (in Mongolia restricted to the west of the country, with not many reliable records), Black Redstarts, lots of White-winged Snowfinches, hordes of Rock Sparrows, a few Common Linnets and many “Pale Mountain” Twites (altaica). At sunset we witnessed a spectacular gathering of Rosy Starlings. About 1200 –1500 settled down for the night in the few poplar trees (Populus spec.) available.

The starlings already left the trees before sunrise the next day (9 Jun) and we did this a little later, too (thanks to a pair of Golden Eagles and a Golden Oriole which we had to observe). Despite this short delay we were driving on a much degraded road rather early this day. Near the small village of Mönkhkhairkhan we found a colony of Pale Martins and some Blyth’s Pipits which were singing at the stream. Even here, at about 2200m a.s.l., some Mongolian Gulls were hanging out, hoping to find something left over by the vultures and/or dogs. Shortly before we found our next camp site (as mostly it was spontaneously chosen and this was our highest one at 3150m!) we stopped at a nice steep slope ‘cause we hoped to see our first Güldenstädt’s Redstarts for this trip there. Kirsten put up her scope and immediately had two of these large redstarts in view. Other goodies at this site were Himalayan Accentors (rather common) and a Bearded Vulture.

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BIRDING MONGOLIA covers any topic concerning wild birds in Mongolia: conservation, migration, observations, identification, projects, events etc. Contributions on other aspects of Mongolia’s natural heritage, as well as information from regions bordering Mongolia, are also featured from time to time.

Axel Bräunlich

I have been birding in Mongolia since 1995. Birding Mongolia was originally set up in March 2007, providing information on the fabulous birdlife (especially migration) at my local patch in Khovd, near the Altai Mountains in the west of the country, where I lived from 2005 to 2007. The blog grew rapidly, with contributions coming from more and more observers, and covering other parts of Mongolia, too.

Andreas Buchheim

I have been visiting Mongolia since 2004. It all started with gull research trips, but I now come to Mongolia at least twice a year, staying for about 6 months annually since 2010, not only for the continuing gull research but now mainly to be with my Mongolian wife and our son and to go birding. As a quasi resident of Ulaanbaatar, I do most of my birding around the city during winter but, luckily, I can visit the even more fascinating rural regions of this rapidly changing country during the warmer seasons.

Contributions (observations, photos, news etc) are very welcome! Any material contributed will be acknowledged and the copyright will remain with the author(s).

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